Sports shoe

ABSTRACT

A sports shoe, particularly for skates, constituted by a rigid sole and by a separate soft upper, which surrounds at least part of the heel, the rigid sole being associated or formed monolithically with a frame that surrounds the foot at least laterally for containing a soft innerboot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a sports shoe that can be usedparticularly for example for practicing sports such as street skatingand ice skating or for skiing.

[0002] Currently in use sports shoes which are constituted by a rigidshell below which a likewise rigid sole is associated or formedmonolithically for connection to the optional sports implement, such asfor example a frame or truck for supporting a plurality of in-linewheels or a ski.

[0003] The sole and the shell, which wraps around the user's foot, areusually made of rigid materials in order to allow efficient transmissionof forces between the user's foot and the sports implement.

[0004] Such known type of sports shoe, further has a quarter that ispivoted to the shell approximately in the malleolar region and issuitable to surround the lower part of the leg.

[0005] The shell and the quarter are further provided with fasteningmeans in order to achieve temporary closure of the shoe around the foot.

[0006] An example of these known types of sports shoe is shown in U.S.Pat. No. 5,437,466, which discloses a skate with in-line wheels thatcomprises a soft shoe provided with reinforcements for containing thefoot, such reinforcements being advantageously made of semirigid plasticmaterial and being arranged approximately at the heel, at the malleoliand at the ankle.

[0007] The body of the shoe can be made of materials that allow thecirculation of ventilation and cooling air; moreover, the shoe is fittedon a frame that supports a plurality of in-line wheels for gliding onthe ground.

[0008] The known type of sports shoe, however, has limited comfort forthe user, since it is very heavy.

[0009] Another drawback of these conventional shoes is the presence ofsoft material that wraps around the foot and is inadequate in preventingthe discomfort caused by the external presence of the containmentreinforcements made of semirigid material.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,546 is also known which illustrates a sportsshoe, particularly a skate with in-line wheels, which comprises an outersole, suitable for connection to the sports implement, above which acontainment structure for the user's foot is associated.

[0011] Such containment structure comprises a first portion, made ofrelatively rigid material, which constitutes a rear seat for containmentand support of the heel of the user.

[0012] The first portion is advantageously formed monolithically withthe sole and is associated, at its front edges, with a second portion,made of relatively soft material, which constitutes an upper forsurrounding the front part of the foot.

[0013] The upper is associated, in a downward region, with the frontfree portion of the sole and with the lateral regions of the rear seat.

[0014] One drawback that can be observed in such known type of sportsshoe is the fact that its overall weight is still significant eventhough the first portion of the upper is made of soft materials.

[0015] Furthermore, manufacture of the sports shoe requires a largenumber of operations, such as the necessary stitched seams between thevarious components, which lead to an increase in overall costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The aim of the present invention is to solve the above notedproblems, eliminating the drawbacks of the cited known art, by providinga sports shoe that ensures high performance in terms of maneuverabilityof the implement with which it is associated and at the same timeensures a high degree of comfort for the user.

[0017] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to providea sports shoe that allows to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a sportsshoe that is structurally simple.

[0019] This aim and these and other objects that will become betterapparent hereinafter are achieved by a sports shoe, particularly forskates, characterized in that it comprises a rigid sole, associated witha frame that wraps around the foot at least laterally, and a separatesoft upper, which surrounds at least part of the heel, for containing anoptional soft innerboot which is provided with a rigid toe cap that isassociated with said sole, a rigid rod-like element for a quarter beingrotatably associated with said frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention willbecome better apparent from the detailed description of exemplaryembodiments of the sports shoe according to the present invention,illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

[0021]FIG. 1 is a side view of a skate with in-line wheels thatcomprises a first embodiment of the sports shoe according to the presentinvention;

[0022]FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively a side view and a bottomperspective view of the sports shoe of FIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sports shoe of FIG. 1, withthe innerboot partially removed;

[0024]FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively a side view and a perspective viewof a detail of the sports shoe of FIG. 1;

[0025]FIGS. 7 and 8 are respectively a side view and a perspective viewof a second embodiment of the frame of the sports shoe according to thepresent invention;

[0026]FIGS. 9 and 10 are respectively a side view and a perspective viewof a third embodiment of the frame of the sports shoe according to thepresent invention;

[0027]FIGS. 11 and 12 are respectively a side view and a perspectiveview of a fourth embodiment of the frame of the sports shoe according tothe present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the reference numeral 1designates the sports shoe according to the present invention,particularly usable for sports implements such as a skate, designated bythe reference numeral 2 in FIG. 1.

[0029] The skate 2 comprises a frame or truck 3, which is shaped like aninverted letter U and between the wings whereof a plurality of in-linewheels 4 are pivoted.

[0030] The truck 3 is associated below the sports shoe 1, which has arigid sole 5 for supporting the foot of the user that is advantageouslyassociated with, or formed monolithically with, a frame 6 that wrapsaround the foot at least laterally.

[0031] The frame 6 comprises one or more rigid rod-like elements.

[0032] For example, the frame 6 comprises two rod-like arms 7, each ofwhich is approximately shaped like an inverted letter V, so as to form afirst wing 8 a and a second wing 8 b, which diverge and are arrangedlaterally to the foot of the user.

[0033] The first wing 8 a is arranged obliquely and blends with thefirst perimetric edge, designated by the reference numeral 5 a, of thesole 5, approximately at a first region 9 of the metatarsus of the foot.

[0034] The second wing 8 b, also arranged obliquely and approximately atright angles to the direction of the first wing 8 a, affects the secondregion 10 of the heel and therefore blends laterally with the sole 5approximately at the first perimetric edge 5 a.

[0035] The first and second wings 8 a and 8 b of each one of therod-like arms 7 are blended at a vertex 11 that is preferably roundedand is located approximately proximate to a third malleolar region 12.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the two second wings 8 b, relatedto the two lateral regions of the foot, are advantageously blended bymeans of a first bridge 13, which is approximately U-shaped and wrapsaround, at the rear, the second region 10 of the heel approximately atthe level of the malleoli, so as to increase the overall rigidity of theentire frame 6.

[0037] A quarter 15 is rotatably associated with the frame 6 and wrapsaround the lower part of the user's leg.

[0038] The quarter 15 preferably comprises a rod-like rigid support 14.

[0039] The support 14 is advantageously approximately U-shaped so as toaffect a fourth region 16 for supporting the lower rear part of the leg.

[0040] The sports shoe 1 further comprises a separate soft upper 17,which is accommodated freely inside the frame 6 and is suitable tocontain an optional soft innerboot 18 for containing the foot of theuser.

[0041] The upper 17, which can be advantageously made of differentmaterials, such as one or more layers of PVC, leather, fabric, rubber orfoamed materials, is shaped so as to affect at least partially the heelof the user; advantageously, it can also affect substantially all of thesurface of the foot, extending from the heel region 10 of the heel tothe malleolar region 12, until it affects the upper metatarsal regionand the lower metatarsal region 9.

[0042] Advantageously, the rear and central portion of the upper 17preferably comprise a multilayer fabric that comprises a soft innerlayer associated with a partially elastic outer layer constituted by athree-dimensional lattice.

[0043] The front portion of the upper 17 preferably comprises amultilayer fabric, which comprises a soft inner layer associated with anouter layer that is externally coated with plastics so as to give acertain resistance to abrasion or environmental agents.

[0044] A rigid toe cap 19 is associated, for example by gluing, with theupper 17 at the toes and is in turn associated or formed monolithicallywith the sole 5 in a downward region.

[0045] Advantageously, the toe cap 19 can be formed by means of arelatively thin contoured layer of plastic material.

[0046] The upper 17 can also be connected to the sole by gluing orriveting or by way of a similar process.

[0047] Moreover, the upper 17 can be connected to the frame 6, forexample at he articulation to the support 14 for the quarter 15.

[0048] The temporary fastening of the sports shoe 1 around the foot ofthe user is allowed by the presence of first fastening means 20, whichare associated with the upper 17 approximately at the upper metatarsalregion, and of second fastening means, designated by the referencenumeral 21, which are preferably constituted by a conventional fasteninglever, which is arranged at the front of the quarter 15 and transverselythereto.

[0049] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first fasteningmeans 21 comprise a lattice-like semirigid structure made of plasticmaterial, which forms the flaps 50 and is suitable to strengthen theshoe, prevent abrasions of the soft fabrics, and support one or moreclosure elements, such as closure hooks or guiding elements 51 for theshoe or, as an alternative, a plurality of loops for laces or cables 52that allow to close the shoe.

[0050] An at least partially soft element 22, commonly known as shockabsorber, can further be arranged between the sole 5 and the upper 17and is suitable to compensate for the impacts and/or vibrationstransmitted by the wheels to the foot.

[0051] The shock absorber 22 is suitable to support in a downward regionthe user's foot at least in the heel and/or plantar arc region.

[0052] The shock absorber 22 preferably affects the entire heel andplantar arch.

[0053] As an alternative, it can affect the entire foot. The shockabsorber 22 is preferably arranged so as to have second edges,designated by the reference numeral 22 a, which protrude laterally so asto affect the lower part of the upper and in particular a fifth region23 of the plantar arch of the foot.

[0054] The second edges 22 a are preferably blended at the third region12 of the heel, so as to constitute a support for the lower part of theheel of the user.

[0055] The shock absorber 22 can be associated with the upper 17 andoptionally also with the facing surface of the sole 5 by gluing orriveting.

[0056] Use of the sports shoe 1 is therefore as follows: with referenceto FIG. 1, the user inserts his foot in the innerboot 18, then activatesthe first and second fastening means 20 and 21, thus fastening the shoe1 around the foot.

[0057] The particular rod-like structure of the frame 6 allows adequatecontainment of the foot during sports practice and at the same time alsoallows optimum transmission of force to the sports implement.

[0058] Moreover, it allows to support the foot only in its essentialpoints, leaving it free from rigid containment structures in theremaining regions.

[0059] In particular, the heel of the user is surrounded by softmaterial and therefore comfort is increased also due to the use of thesoft innerboot.

[0060] It has thus been shown that the sports shoe according to thepresent invention has achieved the intended aim and objects.

[0061] The shoe in fact ensures achieving high performance and at thesame time considerable comfort as well as a low overall weight.

[0062] The soft part of the shoe is in fact fully separated from therigid part: this entails a considerable reduction of the weight of theshoe, since a drastic reduction in plastic material is possible, andalso entails very easy assembly and a reduction of production costs,since it is no longer necessary to glue the soft part to the rigid part.

[0063] The sports shoe according to the present invention isstructurally simple, thus allowing easy product engineering.

[0064] In this manner it is possible to speed up and optimize the stepsof production, consequently also reducing manufacturing costs.

[0065] The sports shoe according to the present invention is of coursesusceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which arewithin the scope of the appended claims.

[0066] Thus, for example, FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a differentembodiment for a frame 106, which is again constituted by two rod-likearms that form a first wing 108 a and a second wing 108 b, which aresubstantially shaped like an inverted letter V and at the vertex ofwhich a support 114 is articulated.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 106 is associable at arigid sole 105, which in turn can be connected in a downward region to atruck 103 for supporting wheels 104.

[0068] The frame 106 in fact has means for detachable connection to thesole 105; such means are constituted by two plates 126 a and 126 b,which are arranged so as to face each other on a same plane and protrudeat the ends of each one of said first wings 108 a.

[0069] Each one of the two plates 126 a, 126 b advantageously hassuitable first holes 127, and the plates can be arranged atcomplementarily shaped first seats 128 a, 128 b formed at the sole 105in a first metatarsal region 109 and at a first perimetric edge 105 a ofthe sole 105.

[0070] At the first seats 128 a, 128 b there are second holes 129, whichhave the same axis as the first holes 127 for connection for example byriveting or by another known device.

[0071] Likewise, at the heel region 110 there is, on the sole 105, asecond seat 130 for positioning a second bridge 131 for blending theends of the second wings 108 b, such bridge and such second seat beingprovided respectively with third holes 132 and with fourth holes 133 formutual connection by known means.

[0072]FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate still another embodiment of a frame 206,which is again constituted by two rod-like arms that are shaped like aninverted letter V and form a first wing 208 a and a second wing 208 b.

[0073] A support 214 is articulated at the vertex of said wings.

[0074] The first wings 208 a are again associated, approximately at afirst metatarsal region 209, with a sole 205 at a first perimetric edge205 a of the sole.

[0075] The second wings 208 are instead coupled or articulated, at theirfree end, at a counter 234 that protrudes upward with respect to thesole 205 at the first perimetric edge 205 a.

[0076] Such counter therefore affects the region 210 of the heel so asto affect the sole approximately up to the entire fifth region 223 ofthe plantar arch.

[0077] This solution allows better containment of the foot and thereforean optimum transmission of forces, especially during lateral thrustwhile skating.

[0078]FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a further embodiment for a frame 306,which is constituted by two rod-like arms that are shaped like aninverted letter V so as to form a first wing 308 a and a second wing 308b.

[0079] A support 314 is associated at the vertices of the wings.

[0080] The tips of the first and second wings 308 a and 308 b areconnected at a counter 334 that protrudes from the sole 305 at theentire first perimetric edge 305 a so as to form a foot containmentshell, such foot being thus surrounded at a second heel region 310, atits entire inner and outer lateral region, and at its entire toe region.

[0081] The interconnection of the end of the first and second wings tosaid shell can occur by known devices, such as for example riveting.

[0082] The materials used, as well as the dimensions that constitute theindividual components of the invention, may of course be more pertinentaccording to the specific requirements.

[0083] The various means for performing certain different functions neednot certainly coexist only in the illustrated embodiment but can bepresent per se in many embodiments, including ones that are notillustrated.

[0084] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. TV2002A000055from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein byreference.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sports shoe, particularly for skates,comprising a rigid sole, associated with a frame that wraps around thefoot at least laterally, and a separate soft upper, which surrounds atleast part of the heel, said frame being rotatably associated with saidframe.
 2. The sports shoe according to claim 1, further comprising asoft innerboot contained inside said soft upper.
 3. The sports shoeaccording to claim 1, wherein said frame and/or a quarter comprise oneor more rigid rod-like elements.
 4. The sports shoe according to claim3, wherein said rigid sole is associated with said frame or obtainedmonolithically therewith, said frame comprising two rod-like arms, eachof which is approximately shaped like an inverted letter V, so as toform a first wing and a second wing which diverge and are arrangedlaterally with respect to user's foot.
 5. The sports shoe according toclaim 4, wherein said first wing is orientated obliquely and blends witha first perimetric edge of said sole, approximately at a first region ofthe metatarsus of the foot.
 6. The sports shoe according to claim 5,wherein said second wing is arranged obliquely approximately at rightangles to said first wing, affects a second region of the heel and isblended laterally with said sole approximately at said first perimetricedge.
 7. The sports shoe according to claim 6, wherein said first andsecond wings are blended at a vertex that is arranged approximatelyproximate to a third region of the malleoli, said quarter beingrotatably associated thereat, said quarter comprising a rigid supportthat wraps around a lower part of the leg of the user.
 8. The sportsshoe according to claim 6, wherein said frame comprises a first bridgethat is approximately U-shaped and wraps around, at the rear, saidsecond region of the heel approximately at the level of the malleoli. 9.The sports shoe according to claim 1, wherein said separate soft upperaffects the entire surface of the foot and runs from the heel region tothe malleolar region until it affects the upper metatarsal region andthe lower metatarsal region.
 10. The sports shoe according to claim 8,wherein rear and central portions of said upper comprise a multilayerfabric that comprises a soft inner layer associated with a lattice-likeouter layer that is partially elastic.
 11. The sports shoe according toclaim 8, wherein a front portion of said upper comprises a multilayerfabric, which in turn comprises a soft inner layer that is associatedwith an outer layer that is coated with plastic externally so as toprovide resistance to abrasion or environmental agents.
 12. The sportsshoe according to claim 8, wherein a rigid toe cup is associated withsaid soft upper at the tip of the toe and is in turn associated withsaid sole or monolithic therewith in a downward region.
 13. The sportsshoe according to claim 7, wherein said separate soft upper is connectedto said frame at an articulation to said support for said quarter. 14.The sports shoe according to claim 1, wherein first fastening means areassociated with said soft upper and are arranged approximately at theupper metatarsal region, said first fastening means comprising alattice-like semirigid structure made of plastic material, which formsflaps and is adapted to strengthen said shoe, prevent abrasions of saidsoft fabrics and/or support one or more closure elements.
 15. The sportsshoe according to claim 1, wherein an at least partially soft element isinterposed between said sole and said soft upper.
 16. The sports shoeaccording to claim 15, wherein said soft element supports, in a downwardregion, the foot of the user at least in the heel region and/or in theplantar arch region.
 17. The sports shoe according to claim 15, whereinsaid soft element supports, in a downward region, the foot of the userfrom the heel region to the plantar arch.
 18. The sports shoe accordingto claim 15, wherein said soft element supports, in a downward region,the entire foot of the user.
 19. The sports shoe according to claim 15,wherein said soft element has second edges that protrude laterally so asto affect a lower part of said upper and in particular a fifth region ofthe plantar arch of the foot, said second edges being connected at saidthird heel region, so as to constitute a support for the lower part ofthe heel of the user.
 20. The sports shoe according to claim 15, whereinsaid soft element is associable with said upper and/or said sole. 21.The sports shoe according to claim 1, wherein said frame is providedwith means for detachable connection to said sole.
 22. The sports shoeaccording to claims 1, wherein said frame is formed monolithically withsaid sole.